A boater's guide to New England's best coastal and freshwater destinations. Each destination section contains detailed information on navigation, marinas, public dockage, Harbormaster contacts, fuel docks, anchorages, launch ramps, fishing options, service and repair. You'll also find videos, links and info on places to shop, dine, and local points of interest.

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The Charles W. Morgan sails on her first sea trial off New London on June 7. Photo/Mystic Seaport by Dennis Murphy.

Your top source for any and all boating-related news. If it happens on the water in New England, chances are you'll find it here! Get the scoop on recent search-and-rescue ops, marina news, dredging, boating and fishing events, weather alerts, fishing reports, and anything else that happens along the coast.

An ever-expanding library of articles and videos on how, where and when to catch all of New England's top sport and food fish. From tuna to scup, the Fishing section contains valuable, updated information on rigs, lures, baits, hot spots, and techniques. It's also where you can learn about recent noteworthy catches, watch entertaining fishing videos and find links to state regulations and license information.

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Contains short videos on every imaginable subject related to New England's aquatic resources, from fishing to history, kayaking to engine maintenance. Whether you want to be entertained or informed, or both, you'll find something of interest in the video library.

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New England Boating TV has kicked off its second season of production, and what a season it promises to be! Co-Hosts Parker Kelley and Tom Richardson are hitting the water and traveling to locations throughout New England.

Boothbay is near the northern edge of the striper's range. Photo by Tom Richardson

Considered the northernmost port on the East Coast for serious saltwater sport fishing, Boothbay Harbor offers action with mackerel, striped bass, bluefish, tuna and an assortment of groundfish. Half- and full-day partyboats, charterboats and small-boat guides ply the inshore and offshore waters in search of game and food fish, and private boaters can easily follow suit.

Big-game fishing for sharks and giant bluefin tuna has always been popular with Boothbay anglers.

Striped bass are Boothbay’s glamour fish, although the action has been somewhat lacking in recent years. If things return to normal, schoolies from 5 pounds to bruisers over 30 should be abundant from mid-June into October. The local charter skippers and guides generally work the Kennebec and Sheepscot Rivers and the waterways connecting them. Closer to the harbor, Linekin Bay offers fine action for private-boaters. A live tinker mackerel, free-lined or fished under a float along the shoreline, can account for some nice fish, as will mackerel chunks fished on bottom. Be advised that Maine has a “slot limit” on bass, whereby an angler can keep one fish per day, and it must measure between 20 and 26 inches. If you’re lucky enough to catch a striper over 40 inches you can keep that instead, but most Maine anglers release the big ones.

Big-game fishing for sharks and giant bluefin tuna has always been popular with Boothbay anglers. The Breakaway, Charger and Redhook offer offshore trips for these choppers, with blue sharks from 50 to 300-plus pounds being the most plentiful. Productive spots include the Kettle (10 miles south of Seguin Island), the Sagadahoc Ledges (several miles farther out) and Plattes Bank. Tuna, ranging from 200 to 800 pounds, can be trolled up on spreader rigs of plastic squid, or chummed up with fresh cut-up fish with a live or dead mackerel, herring or whiting as a hook bait, in these same areas.

Speaking of mackerel, you’ll find plenty inside the harbor, sometimes right on the surface around the harbor docks. You can easily catch them on small shiny flies and metal lures, as well as on Sabiki bait-catching rigs. If you can’t see the schools on top, try slow-trolling a Sabiki rig on a heavy weight through the harbor until you hook up.

Bait & Tackle:

Charters:

Capt. Barry Gibson (207) 633-5929

Capt. George Warren (207) 380-4556

Capt. Mark Stover (207) 633-3807

Capt. Dan Stevens (207) 380-5445

License Requirements

Anglers over the age of 16 who wish to fish in Maine’s marine waters out to 3 miles from shore, including the waters surrounding its offshore islands, must register annually with the state. There is a $1 to $2 service fee to register. The permit expires on December 31.

Exemptions:

The following individuals do not need to register:

Persons under the age of 16.

Persons fishing aboard a charter or partyboat.

Persons renting a smelt shack from an individual who holds a commercial operator’s permit.

Persons with a disability.

Disabled veterans.

Persons holding a saltwater recreational fishing license from another state.

Maine residents who purchased a freshwater fishing license and who checked a box indicating that they intend to fish in saltwater.

Maine residents fishing on July 4, Memorial Day weekend, or Labor Day weekend.

Seasons, Catch & Size Limits

About the Author

Barry Gibson spent 27 years with Salt Water Sportsman, and was the magazine’s Editor from 1982 to 2004. A long-time proponent of responsible fishery management, Gibson has served on numerous state, federal, and international boards. Currently he is chairman of the New England Fishery Management Councils’ Recreational Fishing Advisory Panel, is vice-president of the Northeast Charterboat Captains Association, and serves as the New England Regional Director for the Recreational Fishing Alliance. He has fished in major venues in North, Central, and South America for 30 years, and has contributed to numerous outdoor magazines throughout the U.S. A well-known charterboat captain and guide in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, he enthusiastically chases everything from striped bass to giant bluefin tuna in his 28 Whitewater center console, Shark Six, during the summer months.

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